Bac Lieu: birds die on massive scale, sanctuary closed

An official of the sanctuary said some days they see nearly 30 birds die in the sanctuary and the reason has not been determined yet. Most of the dead birds are cormorants.

Veterinarian workers have sprayed decontaminants in the sanctuary. Dead birds have been tested but tests are negative for the bird flu virus.

As the number of dead birds hasn’t decreased, the sanctuary has been closed. The sanctuary has also asked the Veterinary Agency to help them seek the reason for the bird deaths to protect rare birds that are flying to the sanctuary.

One of the rare bird species that has just appeared in the sanctuary is the grey-legged pelican. Bac Lieu Sanctuary is also home to three species of bird which are named in the Vietnam Red Book: Indian panted stork, red-bellied pitta, and reddish Halcyon coromanda.

The community of wild birds in this sanctuary has increased to 78 species, including 15 species of water birds totalling 38,000-40,000 heads.